Old-school news, just in time
by Kevin Burton I have spent most of my life in the American Midwest, the breadbasket of the world, but I never did learn to use a plow. Nevertheless we are going to talk plows today as we learn about focus and hard work in service to God, in a message from Dr. …
Continue reading “Put Your Hand To The Plow, For The Gospel”
by Kevin Burton I say “Jane you ignorant slut,” and you of a certain age know exactly what I am talking about. It’s an old Saturday Night Live bit from the 70s, Point/Counterpoint, a sendup of the political opinion shows and a similar segment on 60 Minutes. Jane Curtin spoke in favor of …
by Kevin Burton “Write ‘em tight” they used to teach us in journalism school, “write ‘em tight.” That means don’t be wordy. Get to the point. That’s the first thing I thought of after reading a recent message from In Touch, the international radio and television ministry founded by the late Dr. …
Continue reading “Salvation Through Jesus, Straight To The Point”
by Kevin Burton In my early studies in journalism I heard or read somewhere that a news reporter should write at a 10th-grade level. I never did that. I wouldn’t. I was very aware that I was talking to everyone, “broadcasting,” in the print news sense of the word, with the emphasis on …
Continue reading “Use A Variety Of Verbal Tools To Communicate”
by Kevin Burton On a tip from a new friend, I knocked on the door of Interlingua language school one day, and asked the good people there to employ me. Shockingly, they took me up on it. This was in the Reagan 80s. I was in somebody else’s country, Mexico, and somebody …
Continue reading “In Praise Of Mexico, Lettuce And Billy Joel”
by Kevin Burton Today we finish up the Dictionary Scoop website’s list of jargon phrases used in journalism. As I did yesterday, I will add to the list. “Above The Fold” is a term that refers to stories and pictures that appear in the top half of the front page. It’s the part …
Continue reading “How I Rode Cold Notes Straight To The Top”
by Kevin Burton Every industry has its insider jargon and our friends at Dictionary Scoop have released a list of journalism phrases. And I’ll get to it, gladly. But first, one bone to pick. So the way I was trained in journalism was, get to the point, now. Put the most important …
by Kevin Burton Do you believe in Miracles? Yes! Led by major league batting champion Bobby Witt Jr. (.332 batting average), the Kansas City Royals qualified for the playoffs! I’m still a little bit in disbelief. The Royals bubbled up into the playoffs in 2014 and I said what I am saying …
Continue reading “Quibbles And Bits Sports Edition: Royals!”
by Kevin Burton I love Bonnie Raitt more this week than I did before, and that’s saying something. Raitt announced Monday that proceeds from her Sept. 23 concert in Carmel By The Sea, California, will go to support investigative journalism and protect a free press. “Special guest Roy Rogers will support the …
Continue reading “Bonnie Raitt Supports A Free Press, Journalism”
by Kevin Burton You hear this phrase a lot: “don’t judge.” Well in this case, go ahead. Be my guest. Judge, and jump in with both feet, or both wagging index fingers, if you want to. I don’t care. On our first regional beep baseball trip, to Indianapolis in late May, I …
Continue reading “Boom, Boom: Fireworks Store Erupts In Flames”
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